Car-coupling



(No del.)

PURSLEY.

I GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT Qantas,

JOHN J. PURSLEY, OF WETMORE, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,322, dated December 19, 1882.

Application filed November 11. 1882. (No model.)

.T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. PURSLEY, of Vetmore, in the county of Neinaha and State ofKansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Uouplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This application is for an improvement upon the class of inventions known as car-couplings, and has for its object to lessen the danger of accident so often resulting from their management, ease of manipulation, simplicity of construction of the several parts, and the combination ofseveral novel features in one for the attainment of the object or result desired.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top view of a dra w-head; Fig.2, a longitudinal section thereof, showing the operation and construction of the several parts; Fig. 3, an end view; Fig. 4-,

a top view, and Fig. 5 a sectional view.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the same letters of reference are used to indicate the several parts, I will now describe their construction and operation.

Arepresents the draw-head, which converges inwardly from its enlarged end, as shown at a, Fig. 3, which forms its month. In the top of this draw-head is a hole or passage, I), on a straight line with a corresponding passage-hole in the bottom side ofthe draw-head, for the insertion of acoupling-pin, B. On the top of the draw-head, and surrounding the hole therein, is a recess, 1), of a |--like shape, within which slides back and forth a corresponding-shaped slotted metal plate, 1). Behind this plate is a channel or. opening, (I, which extends down through the top of the draw-head and communicates with the inside of the mouth of the draw-head. Within this channel is pivoted hinge-like or coupling plate (J, said plate having a hook-like projection, c, and a lug, 0', over the top of which is provided a spring, 9, which extends over and made to bear down upon the coupling-plate, so that when the plate is forced up by the link 0' the spring forces it down again and secures said link. The spring 9 also acts by its. downward pressure upon the plate to keep it from flying up from the jolting of the cars, and thus prevents them from coming uncoupled. The rear side of the plate 0 rests against abutment-s formed by the sides of the channel, within which it works both at the top and bottom sides of the draw-head, the object of which will be explained hereinafter. The mouth of the draw-head is provided with a guide-tongue, 1), the shape of which corresponds to the side on which it lies. This tongue does not project outside of the end of the draw-head, and it is secured to a bar, d, which extends through the two sides I and 2 of the draw-head at the inner converged portion thereof. This bar may have a handle, or may be bent to form a crank, and can be made to extend as far out as the side of the car, so that when twocars are about to be coupled this handle can be grasped and turned, so as to bring the guide-tongue D, with one end of thelink Uresting upon it,on aline with where the hooked portion 0 of the coupling-plate U falls, and thus obviates the necessity of going in between the cars to couple them. The couplingplate bears on the surrounding metal, which forms the draw head, both above and below the link, as shown at 3 and 3, thus relieving the strain upon it to a very great extent. In fact, there will not be any strain at all upon the pin on which it works. The guidetongue D has a passage, 0, in it on a line with those in the top and bottom of the draw-head, through which the coupling-pin B falls. 0n the top of the draw-head is mounted a frustum of a cone, having a passage in it for the coupling-pin, and also an elongated channel, 0, in which is pivoted a small lever, f, adapted to work back and forth and operate the metal plate I).

The object of thisinvent-ion is to combine several novel features together for the purpose of enabling cars to be automatically coupled, and either a short or along coupling made by the use of one of the means herein shown or the other, or both.

I will now describe the operation.

The coupling-pin B is connected by a chain or otherwise to the top of the draw-head. This chain is of length just sufficient to permit the pin to be raised high enough for the sliding metal plate I) to be pushed out, which is done by pulling on theleverf,which operates against the back of the plate. This being done, the pin rests on theplate, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, and when the cars bump together the plate is struck and forced in again, when the pin slips through the slot in the plate I) and down through the holes in the top and bottom of the draw-head and in the guide-tongue D, which is raised in the position as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, to guide in thelink G. If a long link be used, or if the other manner of coupling be desired, the pin B is taken out and the hooked coupling-plate 0 used, which, as the link 0 is forced into the draw-head (guided by the tongue D, operated by the handle 01) by the two cars approaching one another, the coupling is made automatically by one end of the link striking the rounded side of the hooked portion of the coupling-plate, which raises it, and it is forced back by the pressure of the spring and the link caught.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars it can be done by an operator, either on the top of the car, on the side, or 011 the platform, by pulling on a chain or grip lever, 9', extending upward from the lip c on the coupling-plate, and by pulling out the pin B and pushing forwardtheslottedplateb,bythelever. Thusthe coupler is always ready for a coupling to be made. Thus it will be seen that either one or the other of these means can be used separate] y or combined, the object being to combine the two in one, each automatic in itself, or both together, and when one or both are used a coupling is thus gained which cannot be overcome in strength or durability.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The draw-head and slotted metal plate in combination with the cone, said cone having an elongated channel, within which is pivoted a lever which operates the slotted plate, and the guide-tongue and coupling-pin, whereby the cars are automatically coupled, as and in the manner described.

2. The combination of the cone, having the passage for the coupling-pin, and the elongated passage, having pivoted therein the lever, with the draw-head, having the recess b,channel d, having working therein the coupling-plate C, and the slotted metal plate I)", and pin B, all operating substantially as and in the manner described.

3. The draw-head, in combination with the guide-tongue operated by the handle, coupling-pin, dome, working-lever, and sliding plate, all operating in the manner described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. PUR-SLEY.

Witnesses:

EUGENE D. UARUSI, EDWARD E. ELLIs. 

